Palmer Land Trust honored

This press release just in:

Palmer Land Trust has won the 2007 El Pomar Award for Excellence in the Environmental Category. The Awards for Excellence program was established in 1989 to recognize and reward Colorado nonprofit organizations, businesses, and individuals that serve their communities with distinction and excellence.

For over 30 years, Palmer Land Trust has worked to preserve open space, natural areas, and agricultural lands in southeastern Colorado. To date, Palmer has permanently protected over 60,000 acres in 10 Colorado counties.

These include 11 public open space areas that offer recreation and nature study, including Red Rock Canyon Open Space, Stratton Open Space, Paint Mines Interpretive Park, Red Mountain, and Catamount Ranch.

“We owe this distinction to a number of visionary citizens and supporters who recognize that land protection is not just an environmental cause,” said Scott Campbell, the organization’s executive director. “When we protect important lands for future generations, we ensure a high quality of life for our region and maximize its economic potential.”

Palmer Land Trust was awarded $15,000 along with the recognition.

As a new resident of the area and a frequent user of local open space, a tip of my touk.

Still chance for a season pass

Copper Mountain and Winter Park are extending season pass salesm from the November 30 deadline to December 9^th. For more info visit www.passwagon.com
These passes are only available at Front Range Christy Sports store locations through 7pm December 9^th.

Vail finally opening more terrain

On Saturday, Dec. 1 the resort plans to offer more than 550 acres of terrain accessed by 14 lifts. Beginning at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 1, 2007 the following lifts and portions of terrain in these areas will open for the 2007-2008 ski season.

• Avanti Express Lift (Chair 2)
• Wildwood Express Lift (Chair 3)
• Mountaintop Express Lift (Chair 4)
• Game Creek Express Lift (Chair 7)
• Born Free Express Lift (Chair 8)
• Minnie’s Lift (Chair 9)
• Gopher Hill Lift (Chair 12)
• Little Eagle Lift (Chair 15)
• Vista Bahn Express Lift (Chair 16)
• Eagle Bahn Gondola (Lift 19)
• Pride Express Lift (Chair 26)
• 3 Beginner Surface Lifts (at Eagle’s Nest, LionsHead and Golden Peak)

My best Julie Andrews

What I'm really pining for is snowflakes that stick to my nose and eyelashes. But, if you're still in the market for brown paper packages tied up with string, here are a few of my favorite things:

First, save money. Here are the best discount and overstock Websites for outdoor gear:
www.steepandcheap.com (careful, it's addictive)
www.sierratradingpost.com (small quantities, don't waffle.)
Second, feel free to covet.

I love the Colorado-based Osprey Backpacks Talon Series -- super light packs that don't cut back on the bells and whistles. Mountain Chalet carries most of them.

I've really been coveting the Cadillac of jackets, the Alpha LT from Canadian company Arcteryx. Light, simple, strong, stylish, but ouch, it's like $400.





For that much, I could pick up a pair of the Black Diamond Kilowatts, and all around fun and super light ski. Wanna know what the ski techs at Mountain Chalet ski? The Kilowatt. 'Nuff said.
And what would go better with it than a pair of Scarpa T1 Telemark boots. I skied them recently at a demo, and can't wait to get back into them.



How 'bout a last minute hut trip? Most of the slots are full, but keep your eye out on the forum and you can score cancellation spots.



Nothing goes with a hut trip like down booties. When the floorboards of the outhouse are 8 degrees, these guys are key!

The big one?

Weather forecasters say a collision of two storms could bring major snow to Colorado's mountains this weekend.

The winter weather event is set to happen beginning Friday night and last through Saturday as a storm from the south meets a storm from the north resulting in a serious can of whoop ass. By Sunday morning, some places in Colorado's southwestern and central mountains could have 1-3 feet of new snow!

No more duct tape and ski poles

When I was in college, when we wanted to pull a sled on winter overnights, we made crude harnesses out of old ski poles and $8 sleds from Aubuchon's.
But now you can just buy one.
Granite Gear has a new pulk sled. I'm sure it's better designed than our DIY models, but it's also $600!

Snowmass is reporting 9 inches

Snow, glorious snow

BIRDS OF PREY World Cup race training CANCELLED at Beaver Creek TODAY DUE TO HEAVY SNOWFALL WITH 8 INCHES ON COURSE

BEAVER CREEK. – A winter storm blew through the Colorado Rockies delivering 8 inches on the Birds of Prey World Cup race course as this morning. Race organizers cancelled downhill training due to the snowfall. (Ski racers prefer ice) World Cup races will begin at Beaver Creek tomorrow at 11 a.m. and continue through Sunday.

If a tree falls in the woods.... watch the F*%# out!

Two hikers in Rocky Mountain National Park were clobbered by a tree yesterday that was uprooted by50 mph Chinook winds. One of the hikers, both from Boulder, died. Here's the story.

I was stuck in a serious blowdown event in the Adirondacks once. It's pretty scary. Dodging a falling tree is harder than it sounds.

Powder alert!

Breck is reporting 9 inches. Other Summit County resorts are reporting around 3. Forecast calls for another 1 -2 inches today, but also high winds and windchills around -9. If I were running Breck, I'd send the cats out to stomp down that needed base snow before it blows away!

But can you ride it with 6-inch heels?

Channel has released a limited addition, $13,000 vintage commuter bike with Chanel’s signature quilted leather touches. It will be available in Chanel boutiques in time for Christmas..

The guys over at the Goat say "Steal this bike. It’s likely that the person who buys the Chanel commuter bike lives in a money-insulated bubble where nothing bad ever happens. It’s this feeling of safety that will cause them to buy a cheap bike lock for their $13000 cruiser. If you see this bike with a cable lock and you are a cyclist, then you are morally obliged to break the cable lock and ride the bike away as fast as possible. Donate it to a kid or just ghostride it off the monkey bars in the park. At that point it only matters that you’ve taken this limited-edition 8-speed bike off the streets and out of the hands of someone who can’t appreciate the economic and social importance of cycling."

Good news for monarchs

CERRO PRIETO, Mexico (AP) — President Felipe Calderon unveiled a sweeping plan Sunday to curb logging and protect millions of monarch butterflies that migrate to the mountains of central Mexico each winter, covering trees and bushes and attracting visitors from around the world.
The plan will put $4.6 million toward additional equipment and advertising for the existing Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve, covering a 124,000-acre swathe of trees and mountains that for thousands of years has served as the winter nesting ground to millions of orange- and black-winged monarch butterflies.

Since these are the same monarchs (or at least relatives of the same monarchs) we see fluttering through Colorado, this is a critical piece of conservation. Let's hope it works.

Just a few feet shy of being the hardest fourteener

Visitors to Chicago Basin have probably seen sunlight spire, a nasty little gendarme sitting just to the side of sunlight peak. Sunlight, and the rest of the 14ers in the area are just a tough scramble. The spire, however, which falls short of the 14er club by 5 feet, is a stiff climb (a full pitch of 5.10 crack). There's a description of the route here.
The question is, what's the real height of Sunlight Spire. After all, Pikes Peak was long thought to be 14,110 feet, but upgraded in the late 1980s to 14115. An extra five feet in the spire's case could make a big difference. This is something we'll have to look into.

Telluride deep in powder

Today's storm brought 11 inches of new snow. Forecasts are calling for 4-8 additional inches through the day, and the resort is set to open Friday, November 30^th.

Wolf Creek up to 10 inches in this storm.

This wintery weather puts me in the mood for skiing

Clouds are hanging over the Out There world headquarters in Colorado Springs,which makes me itch to hit the mountains and finally sample some winter.
Things are looking up a bit in the highcountry after a ridiculously warm, dry November.
A cold low pressure system is moving into the 4 corners region, and is expected to move across southern Colorado today, with some snow across all areas, light up north and moderate/ heavy for the south with snow morning through evening, decreasing overnight. A quick look at the radar shows most of the action tracking south through the San Juans.

Durango is reporting 8 inches since 3 a.m.
Wolf Creek is reporting a desperately needed 6.
Telluride (which has yet to open) is calling for 4 - 8.

Up north,
Keystone and Breckenridge, which got 6 inches Wednesday, are predicting another 1-4 today.
Vail and BC are calling for showers.
Crested Butte says forecasts call for 100% chance of snow.

Looks like for now, we'll still be surfing the corduroy like the fellow above, at Vail.

Something to be thankful for...

Aspen is recording a foot of fresh powder in the last 24 hours.

New limits for snowmobiles in Yellowstone

From the LA Times:
The National Park Service will allow as many as 540 snowmobiles a day to enter Yellowstone National Park -- a compromise that leaves neither environmentalists nor winter recreation advocates happy.
The proposed cap is less than the current limit of 720 but nearly twice the number that have been entering the park in the last four years, and would reverse a trend of cleaner air and less noise, environmentalists and former park employees said.
The decision, issued in Denver Tuesday, will require snowmobiles to use "best available technology" to control emissions and noise, and for access to be "commercially guided."
The new limits will take effect in the winter of 2008-09. T

Not exactly the dump we were hoping for

Beckenridge (above) and Winter Park claim the most powder out of this storm -- 6 inches, according to www.coloradoski.com. On its website, Vail proclaimed 4 inches "super snow day" with a big !
Monarch still looks like my yard this morning, a dusting over dry leaves.
The good news is, it's cold, which means the big resorts can fire up the guns and make man-made snow (below). Afterall, man-made snow is better than no snow at all.

Vail opening, with fingers crossed for snow

(The photo shows snowguns shooting away this morning, ahead of the predicted snowstorm.)

Vail is set to open its 45th season Wednesday with skiing and riding on Born Free, served by the Born Free Express Lift (Chair 8).

Lift tickets on opening day are $59, $49 for seniors and $39 for kids 12 and younger.

The goal is to have the upgraded Little Eagle Lift (Chair 15) open for beginners by this weekend, and then to expand as snow falls.

What else is new? The Highline Lift (Chair 10) and Sourdough Lift (Chair 14) were replaced this summer with new high speed quads. Both will cut time to Two Elk Restaurant, China Bowl and Blue Sky Basin.

Improvements and expansions to the Golden Peak Children’s Center and Small World Nursery and the Mountain Plaza should make registering kids, renting gear and getting lift tickets easier than ever.

All we need is snow.